Portable video communication system

ABSTRACT

A method and device for adapting a display image on a hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device. The device includes a camera for capturing a digital video and/or still image of a user, means for adjusting the captured digital image in response to poor image capture angle of said image capture device so as to create a modified captured digital image; and means for transmitting said modified captured digital image over a wireless communication network to a second hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/315,737, filed Dec. 9, 2011, incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, which is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/755,192,filed May 30, 2007, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to two-way video communicationsystems and more particularly relates to a portable two-way videocommunication system that is adapted to hand-held video communicationdevices.

BACKGROUND

Two-way video systems are available that include a display and camera ineach of two locations connected by a communication channel that allowscommunication of video images and audio between two different sites.Originally, such systems relied on a setup at each site of a videomonitor to display a remote scene and a separate video camera, locatedon or near the edge of the video monitor, to capture a local scene,along with microphones to capture the audio and speakers to present theaudio thereby providing a two-way video and audio telecommunicationsystem between two locations. Conventional systems are typically large,fixed in location, have a restricted ability to cope with changes inscene focus, and do not necessarily provide natural communication.Moreover, conventional designs do not take advantage of available,portable display and capture systems such as are found in cellulartelephones and similar hand-held devices.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a typical prior artconventional two-way video communication system wherein a first user 20a at a first location views a first display device 14 a. A first imagecapture device 10 a, which can be a digital camera, captures an image ofthe first viewer 20 a. If the image is a still digital image, it can bestored in a first still image memory 30 a for retrieval. A still imageretrieved from first still image memory 30 a or video images captureddirectly from the first image capture device 10 a will then betransmitted using a first communication channel 60 to a second display14 b where a second user 20 b can view the captured image(s) on adisplay 14 b. Similarly, a second image capture device 10 b, which canbe a digital camera, captures an image of second viewer 20 b at a secondlocation remote from the first location. The captured image data istransmitted through a second communication channel 62 to the firstdisplay 14 a for viewing by first viewer 20 a. The captured image datacan also be stored in a second still image memory 30 b for retrieval.The first communication channel 60 may be the same as the secondcommunication channel 62.

Although such two-way video communication systems have been produced andused for high-end teleconferencing and other two-way videocommunications applications, there are some significant practicaldrawbacks for incorporation in a portable and hand-held videocommunication systems. Expanding the usability and quality of suchportable video communication systems has been the focus of much recentresearch, with a number of proposed solutions directed at making iteasier to provide two-way video communication. However, numerousproblems continue to exist that are peculiar to the hand-heldenvironment, such as image quality, ease of use, security, and privacy,that have not yet been adequately addressed.

One relevant problem for hand-held communication devices, are theirinability to compensate for observer motion or vibration, poor imagecapture angles, and changes in the field of view.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,058,433 entitled “Mechanism for Ergonomic Integration ofa Digital Camera into a Mobile Phone” to Carpenter, discloses a pivotprovided between the display and the camera sections of an imagingdevice so that the camera can be better set up for capture during videocommunication. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0148517,entitled “Video Conference Feature for a Mobile Communication Terminal”by Yu, discloses a display is that can be tipped up and the imageinverted for better viewing during video communication. However, neitherCarpenter nor Yu address the problem of poor capture angle produced bythe low hand position (see FIG. 12) that is commonly used by people whenlooking at the handheld display of a mobile phone camera or otherportable imaging and display device.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0070666 entitled “Methodand Apparatus for Transmitting a Video Image”, by Bober, discloses useof face detection for locating the first participant's face in thecaptured image and cropping the captured image prior to transmission tothe second participant to help keep the face centered in the image asviewed by the second participant. This approach does not address poorcapture angle or image shake produced by hand jitter as is commonlyencountered when the portable imaging and display device is operatedwith one hand while the user is in motion. Additionally the methoddisclosed by Bober does not suggest alteration of the background toimprove privacy or reduce data transmission rate.

Privacy issues are particularly relevant for a portable imaging deviceas it is being transported from one environment to another. U.S. PatentApplication No. 2004/0257431 entitled “Video Conferencing Apparatus andMethod”, Girish discloses an iris shaped cover for the imaging device toprovide visual confirmation that the video capture capability isdisabled. Similarly, Girish discloses a light to indicate that videocapture and audio capture are enabled. However, this approach does notprovide a sufficiently versatile approach wherein the user would like toshow his face during video communication without showing the backgroundfrom the environment or would like to select a different background thatis more suitable for the recipient of the image.

The combination of image capture, image processing and wirelesscommunication capabilities in a hand-held communication device such as acellular phone with an embedded camera make it uniquely suited for useas a portable security system based on imaging and audio. Facerecognition algorithms based on image comparison with sophisticatedimage processing systems is taught by P. Viola, M. J. Jones, “RobustReal-Time Face Detection,” International Journal of Computer Vision,Vol. 57, No. 2, May 2004, pp. 137-154. A good article describing facerecognition techniques for video imaging is contained in the article byG. Aggarwal, A. Chowdhury, R. Chellappa, “A System IdentificationApproach for Video-Based Face Recognition”, Proc. of the InternationalConference on Pattern Recognition, 23-26 Aug. 2004, Cambridge, UK.

Further, the use of biometric information in a dedicated security systemis well known in the art as well, U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,739 to Kylediscloses a system that is based on the use of captured biometricinformation (face, fingerprint, hand, iris) that is compared against adatabase of many individual sets of biometric information, includingface recognition, to verify the identity of an user from a group ofindividuals. The system as disclosed by Kyle utilizes a remote centralprocessing unit on a computer network to perform the data analysis forcomparison of the captured biometric information to the many individualsets of biometric information from the group of individuals. Thus, thesystem as described by Kyle is a dedicated security system where thebiometric capture device must be setup to communicate with a centralprocessing unit wherein the captured biometric information is comparedto the database with an algorithm to make a decision regarding theidentity of the user.

Similarly, Akiyama in U.S. Pat. No. 6,724,919, discloses a method for asystem that uses a face identification algorithm on a computer system toverify the identity of the user and if a new user is detected, then apreset process is executed to change the computer setup to that desiredby the new user. Thereby, Akiyama teaches the use of a faceidentification system to improve the operation of the computer alone anddoes not anticipate a portable personal security system.

While both Kyle and Akiyama disclose useful techniques for verificationof the identity of a user, neither Kyle nor Akiyama teach simplifiedtechniques that would be implementable in a hand-held communicationdevice. In addition, Kyle and Akiyama do not teach the use of a portableimaging and display device as a versatile, self-contained personalsecurity system.

Portable imaging and display devices or systems require specialsolutions due to their small size, limited capabilities, inherentproblems, and high mobility. Conventional solutions do not address theproblems of vibration and capture angle induced by one-handed operationof a portable imaging device nor do these solutions adequately addressthe problems of privacy, background suitability, or security foreffective communication. In addition, a portable personal securitysystem wherein the user identification can be verified and theidentification information can be wirelessly communicated to otherdevices is not disclosed.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure aims to provide improved apparatus for videocommunication with a portable video system that provides improved videoquality and is suitable for use in portable devices.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure there is provided ahand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device,comprising:

a. a digital image capture device for capturing digital video and/orstill images;

b. a device for transmitting and receiving wireless communication ofdigital video and/or still images over a communication network; and

c. an image compensating device for compensating for poor image captureconditions of a digital image captured by the image capture device so asto create a modified image for transmission over the communicationnetwork.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure there isprovided a method for adapting a display image on a hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device, comprising the steps of:

a. capturing a digital video and/or still image of a user;

b. adjusting the captured digital image in response to poor imagecapture conditions in an image captured by the image capture device soas to create a modified captured digital image: and

c. transmitting the modified captured digital image over a wirelesscommunication network to a second hand-held portable wireless displayand digital capture device.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure there isprovided a method for adapting a displayed image on a hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device for receiving andtransmitting digital images over a communication network, comprising thesteps of:

a. capturing a digital image of a user with the hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device;

b. adjusting the background of the digital image of the user so as tocreate a modified captured digital image that is to be transmitted; and

c. transmitting the modified captured image over a wirelesscommunication network to a second hand-held portable wireless displayand digital capture device.

In accordance with yet still another aspect of the present disclosurethere is provided a method for adapting a displayed image on a hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device for receiving andtransmitting digital images over a communication network, comprising thesteps of:

a. capturing a digital video and/or still image by the a hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device;

b. controlling what image is captured by the hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device from instruction received from asecond hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture deviceover the wireless communication network; and

c. transmitting the captured image from the hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device over a wireless communication networkto the second hand-held portable wireless display and digital capturedevice.

In still another aspect of the present disclosure there is provided amethod for adapting a displayed image on a hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device, comprising the steps of:

a. capturing a digital video and/or still image by the a hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device;

b. detecting motion of the a hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device that affect the quality of the digital imagebeing captured and automatically adjusting the captured digital image inresponse to the detected motion; and

c. transmitting the adjusted captured digital image from the a hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device over a wirelesscommunication network to a second hand-held portable wireless displayand digital capture device.

The present disclosure is directed to solving and/or minimizing theproblems associated with the prior art, it being understood that thepresent disclosure may provide additional benefits not enumeratedherein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the detailed description of the disclosure presented below, referenceis made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a conventionaltelecommunication system;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a hand-held communicationsystem according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a plan view of a portable communication device made inaccordance with the present disclosure used in the system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a plan view of a modified portable communication hand-helddevice made in accordance with present disclosure have directable imagecapture lens;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrammatic representations illustrating use of apointer in a system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation showing another embodiment of ahand-held communication device made in accordance with the presentdisclosure that uses directable capture that is controlled remotely byanother participant;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation showing use of a portablecommunications device made in accordance with the present disclosure ina teleconferencing application;

FIGS. 7A and 7B show an exemplary sequence of images to be viewed by arecipient illustrating background removal;

FIG. 8 shows a display of a hand-held device made in accordance of arecipient illustrating background removal;

FIG. 9 shows a display with a window that shows the image as transmittedfrom the transmitting hand-held communication made in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIG. 10 shows on-screen user controls of a hand-held device made inaccordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 shows a privacy option for a hand-held communication device madein accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 12. shows a user using a personal communications device made inaccordance with the present disclosure while walking;

FIG. 13A shows image distortion created by a poor capture angle;

FIG. 13B shows a corrected image of distorted image of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14 shows a previously stored image of a face with some typicalstored physical features;

FIG. 15A shows a captured image illustrating poor capture angle; and

FIG. 15B shows replacement of a portion of the captured image of FIG.15A using a portion of a stored image.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 2 there is illustrated a two-way communication system110 for hand-held portable devices for wireless communication between anuser 80 a using a hand-held portable wireless display and digitalcapture device 100 made in accordance with the present disclosure at afirst site 112 and an user 80 b at a second site 114 remote from thefirst site using a second hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100 made in accordance with the presentdisclosure. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device 100 comprises a cell phone,however, the present disclosure is not so limited. Hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device 100 may comprise any handheld device capable of wireless communication that can capture anddisplay images, for example but not limited to digital cameras andpersonal digital assistants (PDAs). The hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100 wireless connection is notlimited to cell phone technology, any appropriate wireless technologymay be employed, for example but not limited to, WiFi, Bluetooth orradio. The dashed line 104 shows some of the components provided as partof each hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device100.

A wireless network 94 connects the two sites 112 and 114. Hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device 100 comprises adisplay 5 with one or more digital image capture devices 40 forcapturing video and still images. A control logic processor (CPU) 116 isalso provided that coordinates control of an image processor 120 and acontroller 122 that provides display driver and image capture controlfunctions. Controller 122 can provide commands to digital image capturedevice 40 (for example, a digital camera), for controlling view angle,focus, or other characteristics. Storage device 30 is provided forstorage of digital image data captured by hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100. A communication controlapparatus 124 acts as interface to a communication channel, such as awireless or wired network channel, for transferring image and other datafrom one site to the other.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, each user 80 a, 80 b is visible ondisplay 5 to the user at the other site, enhancing human interaction andimproving communication capability. Image processing electronics 120provide a number of functions for facilitating two-way communication,including improving the quality of image capture, improving the qualityof images displayed at local display 5, and handling the data for remotecommunication. In the scope of the disclosure, poor image captureconditions are sensed, such as poor capture angle, low light, motion ofthe camera, motion in the scene or bright and dark areas, the capturedimages are then modified before being transmitted from the first digitalcapture device 100 to a second digital device.

It is noted that FIG. 2 shows a general arrangement of components thatserve this particular embodiment; a number of variations can beenvisioned, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the two-waycommunication arts. Digital image capture device 40 and display 5 areboth integrated into each hand-held portable display and digital capturedevice 100. Other components for site 112 or 114, such as imageprocessor 120, controller 122, CPU 116, and communication control 124can also be integrated into hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100. Audio capture and producing components 130and other support components are provided, as is well known to thoseskilled in the audio/video communications arts.

It is to be understood that the particular hardware is not limited tothat illustrated in FIG. 2 but can vary significantly. For instance,image capture device 40 can be separable from the hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device 100 in some embodiments orthe image capture device 40 may be integrated behind display 5 asdescribed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,714,923 incorporated byreference herein. By integrating the image capture device into thedisplay, the overall size of the imaging capture and display device canbe reduced and the eye contact between the participants in the videocommunication can be improved.

Referring to FIG. 3A, there is illustrated a hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100 of FIG. 2. Hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device 100 has a display 5 fordisplaying an image received or captured by device 100 and a digitalimage capture device 40 (see FIG. 2) having a lens for capturing animage. The lens of digital image capture device 40 can be pointed at theuser or any other scene desired by the user. Hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100 also has a microphone 45, speaker46 and user controls 142 all integrated into a single compact device forcapturing audio, playing audio and for controlling operation of thehand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device 100,respectively. In an alternate embodiment, not illustrated, the hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device 100 has two imagecapture devices 40 wherein the lens of one image capture device 40 ispointed at the user of the device and the other lens is pointed awayfrom the user to the surrounding environment. Both images could bedisplayed to the receiver in a split screen mode, for example. It isobvious that more than two cameras could be included to provide close-up(for example for thumbprint security purposes) or zoom capability otherview angles, etc. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b ,hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device 100comprises a first body section 134 that is rotatably mounted to a secondbody section 136 by a hinge 48. It is to be understood that other formsare possible without a hinge 48 or with the controls 142 built into thedisplay wherein the display is a touchscreen. Alternately, the imagecapture device 40 can be used to detect gestures of the viewer 80 a toprovide control inputs to the hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100 that are similar to those inputs providedthrough the control 142.

FIG. 3B shows a modified hand-held portable wireless display and digitalcapture device 100 made in accordance with the present disclosure, likenumerals indicating like parts and operation as previous discussed. Inthis embodiment of a hand-held portable wireless display and digitalcapture device 100 the image capture device 40 (or the lens of the imagecapture device 40) is placed in a swivel mount 47 that can be moved insection 134. A drive motor, not shown, may be provided so the imagecapture device 40 in swivel mount 47 can be directed by a user. Theswivel mount 47 can be operated or controlled manually by the user 80 a,or remotely by a second user 80 b or automatically by another device,such as a computer that is in communication with device 100.

User/Operator Interface

As previously discussed, user interface 142 provides for user input.During video communication, it is anticipated that the users 80 a and 80b upon viewing the image on the display 5 will want to change the areabeing viewed or zoom in on a portion of the image. This can beaccomplished by several different methods within the scope of thedisclosure.

There are several ways the users 80 a and 80 b can control or change thearea being viewed. The users 80 a and 80 b can input the desired changein area to be viewed through user controls 142 (such as buttons, amouse, a slider or a thumb wheel), through a touch screen, throughgestures that are captured by the image capture device 40 andinterpreted by the image processor 120, or through eye tracking. All ofthese techniques are well known and may be employed in the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B there is illustrated diagrammaticrepresentations illustrating use of a pointer in a system according tothe present disclosure. Here, user 80 a is provided with a pointerapparatus 28 that can be used to point to a location of interest on adisplay, shown as location B in FIG. 4A. For ease of explanation andunderstanding, the display 5 is illustrated much larger than actual sizewith respect to user 86 a. A separate prompt detection is provided fordetection of the location of interest. In the embodiment illustrated,the display 5 is a touch screen capable of detecting a pointer, such asa pencil, pen, optical pointer such as a laser pointer, or other device,or a finger in contact with a touchscreen display 5. Based on the promptprovided by pointer 28 position, prompt detection apparatus 126 works inconjunction with control logic processor 116 to provide instructionsover network 94 to the image capture apparatus at second site 114.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the image capture device 40 at remote site 114responds to the prompt from pointer apparatus 28 by adjusting its viewangle toward corresponding position B′. This allows remote control ofviewing by a user 80 b with respect to a scene at the remote location.

Other means for remote controlling of pointer apparatus 28 include, forexample, a cursor manipulating device such as a joystick, trackball, ormouse, a remote control device, or some other mechanism for pointing toa portion of a displayed image on display 5. A touchscreen overlay canbe used for receiving the viewer prompt. In the embodiment illustrated,the position of pointer apparatus 28 on display 5 is detected by theimage capture device that is integrated into the display, reducing theoverall space required for the user interface on portable display anddigital capture apparatus 100. Still other types of prompts can includeaudible prompts. Algorithms that monitor the audio signal generated atfirst site 112 may detect these prompts. For example, a click orclapping sound, voice volume, voice pattern, key word, or other audibleindicator serves as a prompt. Yet other methods of prompting may bebased on analysis of physical posture, head movement, hand signals orgestures, motion, or facial expressions, for example. In this way,remote controlling instructions may be obtained by analyzing imagesreceived from the second device over the wireless communication network.

Advantages of the apparatus and method of the present disclosure fortwo-way video communication can be readily appreciated. For example,with reference to FIG. 5, user 80 a at first site 112 using a portablecommunication device 140 can enjoy a wide range of visibility forcommunicating with viewer 80 b at second site 114, including not onlychanging view angle, but also using zoom in, zoom out, focus adjustment,image cropping, freezing the image, or providing a measure of defocusoutside of an area of interest, among other imaging functions. Inaddition, other features such as changing lighting levels, increasing ordecreasing volume, or altering audio bass/treble tone sensitivity canalso be obtained using this type of prompt/response sequence. Also aspreviously discussed, it is possible to provide remote control of thefield of view contained in the image portable communication device withdirectable capture 141, wherein for example, the image capture device 40may be installed in a swivel mount 47 so the image capture device 40 (orthe lens of the image capture device is directable. Those skilled in theart will recognize that the portable communication device withdirectable capture could also include a directable pointer such as laserpointer to aid in the level of communication possible between user 80 aand 80 b.

As shown in the teleconference application of FIG. 6, user 80 a at firstsite 112 can interact with multiple users 80 b at second site 114,zooming in or out and panning as needed in order to address otherindividuals singly or collectively. Alternately, user 80 a may havemultiple displays 5 digital capture apparatus 100, making it possible toview, at one time, scene content from multiple capture devices 40 atsecond site 114.

Privacy

Methods to restrict image capture are particularly important for aportable imaging and display device where in certain cases it will bedesirable to eliminate portions of the image captured at site 114 by thesecond hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device100 prior to transmission of an image to the first hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device 100 at site 112. For exampleif user 80 b were in a location or circumstances not favorable forunconstrained image capture, such as a locker room or other environmentwhere privacy concerns exist, the allowed image capture area can beconstrained or the background image surrounding the image of user 80 bcan be replaced to form a modified image which is then transmitted tothe first hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device100 at site 112. FIGS. 7A and 7B show one example of backgroundreplacement.

In one privacy embodiment the image capture area is constrained to justthe face of the user and/or participant 146 and the background image isreplaced by a uniform neutral background 144, such as a gray color,leaving only the first participant's face 146 in the modified imagetransmitted to the second hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100, as shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the faceof the participant is detected and preserved in the modified image whileall other detail in the modified image is replaced by a uniform neutralcolor. Face detection is well known to those skilled in the art (facerecognition software can be obtained from Visionics Corporation, JerseyCity, N.J. and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,517) either by skincolor, a change in contrast, by identification of eyes and mouth or bythe general face shape.

In another privacy embodiment, the background image is replaced with adifferent background image to give the illusion that the firstparticipant is located at a different location. In this case, the faceis detected (and in an alternate embodiment, the body of the user isdetected as well) and all other detail is replaced by a different imageto form a modified image wherein the background image is obtained from apreviously stored image on the hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100 or as captured by another image capturedevice 40 or as obtained from an external source. In accordance with thepresent disclosure, any type image may be used; for example, but not byway of limitation, a still image or a video image may be used for thebackground image. However, considering the limited space for imagestorage 30 and the limited image processing capability that is typicalof a hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device 100,the disclosure envisions that a still image would be used for thebackground as selected from a library of images in the storage 30 or ascaptured of the local environment at the beginning of the communicationsession or captured of the local environment when requested by one ofthe participants. A further advantage of using a still image as thebackground in the modified image is that the data transmission rate isreduced since the still image only needs to be transmitted once. In thiscase, the background image is transmitted from the first device to thesecond device and stored on the second device, the face image would thenbe continuously transmitted from the first device to the second deviceduring the communication session and the modified image showing the faceimage over the background image would be continuously constructed withinthe second device and displayed on the second device. Alternately or inaddition thereto, by using a still image to reduce the transmitted datarate of the background, a higher resolution image of the first user 80 aface can be transmitted from the first device to the second devicewithout encountering bandwidth limitations. An image or video alreadyresident on the receiving device can also be used as a background, thuseliminating the need for transmitting that portion of the imagealtogether.

In a further privacy embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG. 9, a portion of the display may be used in a split screenconfiguration to enable the first user to view a verification imagecomposed from the modified image being transmitted to the second user,within a window 148 that forms a portion of the displayed image. Theverification image enables the first user to visually verify what themodified image being transmitted to the second participant looks like interms of image content such as face location, background, zoom,brightness, pointing and privacy features. Those skilled in the art willrecognize that alternately, the verification image from the first site112 can be displayed on the display 5 in an alternating fashion with theimage received from the second site 114 during the communicationsession. The verification image can be displayed in an alternatingfashion automatically or when requested by the user. FIG. 10 showson-screen controls 168 for accepting user commands for privacy settingsin one embodiment.

In a still further privacy embodiment, an opaque screen is provided tocover the image capture device in a way that makes it easy for the firstparticipant and others in the area to verify that the image capture hasbeen disabled. FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which second user 80 b atsite 114 is able to disable image capture using a screen cover 166 thatdisplays at remote site 112. As shown in FIG. 11, cover 166 obscuresimage capture device 40. In the more general case, any number of methodsfor disabling either or both display and image capture functions at asite or portions of the site can be provided, including the use ofopaque covers, a rotating image capture device 47 with a positionwherein the lens of the image capture device 40 is blocked or softwarecontrols. Alternatively, the sending hand-held portable display anddigital capture device 100 may simply disengage the image capture device40.

Image Stabilization

As shown in FIG. 12, in typical use, viewer 80 a may be walking orotherwise moving about while holding the portable communication device140 in one hand, causing an amount of jitter, among other problems, withthe images obtained from hand-held portable wireless display and digitalcapture device 100. As a result, a video image captured from hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device 100 appears to be“jumpy” or otherwise unsteady. To help compensate for this type ofcondition, the present disclosure provides optional image stabilizationthat can be applied to the captured image during video communication.

Jitter can be detected in a number of ways, either by analysis ofsuccessive captured video image frames or using a sensor integrated intohand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device 100. Avariety of techniques for image stabilization may be employed as knownby those skilled in the art, such as optical image stabilizationperformed by optical components themselves, or digital imagestabilization, which is performed during image processing immediatelyafter capture. Jitter can be sensed by an accelerometer, a gyroscope orby analyzing a series of digital images. One suitable embodiment fordigital image stabilization is that described by Deever in United Statespatent publication No. 2006/0274156.

Image Distortion Compensation

Referring to FIG. 12, there is illustrated an user 80 using a personalcommunications device 10 made in accordance with the present disclosurewith the user using a hand-held portable image capture and displaydevice 100 while walking. In the embodiment illustrated the hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device 100 comprises acellular phone. The common technique for using a cell phone is to holdit in one hand at a low angle while walking. Since the lens of imagecapture device 40 is adjacent to (or integrated into) the display, thelow angle results in a poor image capture angle which produces adistorted image of the user's face from below. FIG. 13A illustrates thispoor image capture angle problem. FIG. 13A shows the captured imageresulting from the poor image capture angle and FIG. 13B illustrates anundistorted image. Various methods can be used to compensate for thepoor image capture angle to produce an improved image that appears tohave been captured from a better image capture angle that is moredirectly in front of the user.

In a first image compensation method, the compensated image is producedusing angular calculations. The angular orientation of the captureapparatus can be sensed by a tilt angle sensor (not shown) as is wellknown in the art (as describe in an article on Tilt Sensors by MichaelPuccio, “Electrolytic Tilt Sensors and Inclinometers”, Sensor Technologyand Design, September 2004) and used to determine the capture angle 152.Alternately, the tilt angle can be determined by the relative size andshape of the nose 150, including but not limited to the width, length,nostrils and septum, of the person in the image. Nose 150 size and shapeis a sensitive indicator for determining the capture angle 152 as can bereadily seen in FIGS. 13A and 13B. A captured image of a user can becompared to a stored image of the user that has been captured with agood capture angle or can be compared to a database of normal faces todetermine the capture angle 152 based on relative size and shape of thenose 150. Wherein capture angle 152 is defined as the angle between thepointing direction of the digital capture device 100 and the pointingdirection of the user's face and a good capture angle is defined as lessthan 10 degrees. In one approach, the relative length of the nose D3 iscompared to the distance between the eyes D1 (or alternately the widthof the face) in the image, using digital image processing, or ascompared to a stored image with a good capture angle is used to providea measure of capture angle 152 (see FIG. 14). In another approach, thesize of the nostrils seen in the captured image compared, using digitalimage processing, to a stored image with a good capture angle (see FIGS.13A and 13B) is used to provide a measure of capture angle 152.

After the capture angle 152 has been measured, in a first imagecompensation method, the captured image is stretched accordingly in oneor more directions to compensate for a poor capture angle and produce animage that is more like an image that has been captured from a goodcapture angle. The stretch directions include longitudinal, transverseand skewed, wherein the bottom of the image is stretched laterally moreat the top than at the bottom. The improved image may use a database offace dimensions to guide the image compensation process. The database offace dimensions can be obtained from a database of normal faces. Thedatabase of normal faces would include data on relative dimensionsbetween identified features on the participant's face 164 as shown inFIG. 14, such as the distance D1 between the eyes and the distance D2between the eyes and the mouth or the distance D3 between the eyes andthe nose or the distance D4 between the nose and one eye or the distanceD5 that is the width of the nose, for example. The relative dimensionsof the image captured from a poor angle would then be adjustedvertically and horizontally to create a compensated image with relativedimensions that match the database of normal faces.

In a second image compensation method, a compensated image is producedby adjusting the image captured from a poor image capture angle to matchthe relative dimensions of a previously captured and stored benchmarkimage of the user. As shown by FIG. 14, there is illustrated an image ofan user 80 b that was captured from a good capture angle and the variousmeasurements such as D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5 as previously discussed, thatcan be obtained and stored from such an image. Other relative dimensionsother than or in addition to D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5 such as nose 150relative size and shape may be used for comparing a captured image withstored benchmark image and then compensating the captured image.

In a third image compensation method, a compensated image is obtained byadjusting the image captured from a poor capture angle to match therelative dimensions of a previously captured and stored benchmark image(either a still image or a video) of the participant that was capturedfrom a better image capture angle and then one or more portions 96 ofthe captured image are replaced by a corresponding portion of thepreviously captured and stored benchmark image (FIG. 14) to form amodified compensated image as shown by FIG. 15b . As shown in FIGS. 15aand 15b , one or more portions of details that are missing or blurred orotherwise distorted are replaced thereby producing an improved image ofthe face. As illustrated by FIG. 15a distorted portion 96 of the noseand mouth area of viewer 80 b results from poor camera angle. Portion 96is replaced from the stored image data (FIG. 14) for that user or otheridentified participant.

In a further image compensation method, a previously captured orconstructed three dimensional model of the participant's face is used inconjunction with the image captured from a poor capture angle in orderto produce an image of the face which has been rotated to correct forthe poor image capture angle. With three-dimensional modeling, the shapeof the face can be determined from the three dimensional model and thecolors of the face such as skin tone and other characteristics can bedetermined from the image captured from a poor image capture angle. Anexemplary method for obtaining a three dimensional model of an imagedscene is described by Yahav in U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,517.

In a still further image correction method, a previously captured imageof a user 80 b that has been captured with a good image capture angle isused as a base image for an avatar. The facial movement of the avatar isprovided by facial changes in the captured video image from the poorimage captured angle. The avatar then provides an improved image whichappears to have been captured from a good image capture angle.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that still other imagecompensation can include rotation of the image, cropping, gainadjustments for bright areas or dark areas or automatic contrast orbrightness adjustment, for example.

Security and Identification

The use of biometric information to verify the identity of a person iswell known in the art. As previously stated, both Kyle and Akiyamadisclose systems which gather biometric information such as face,thumbprint and voice to verify the identity of an user by comparing thecaptured information to a database. The disclosure described hereinteaches the use of a hand-held portable wireless display and digitalcapture device in a self-contained system to form a portable personalsecurity device which can be used to verify the identity of the user andwirelessly transmit security information to other devices to controlaccess to the other devices. The disclosure teaches the use of severalimprovements to biometric capture and comparison that enable more grossfeatures to be used for verification of identity to simplify the signalprocessing required and together or individually make the verificationof the user more suited to implementation in a hand-held portablewireless display and capture device.

In the first security embodiment, a database of previously capturedsecurity images of approved users is compared to the image of thecurrent user of the imaging and display device. If the face of thecurrent user does not match any of the previously captured securitypreviously captured security images of approved users, a security alarmis then activated. Communication can be terminated, redirected, ormonitored when a security alarm has been activated. While facerecognition using a remote central processing unit is well known in theart, the disclosure further teaches that users could choose to includeexaggerated facial expressions (such as sticking their tongue out,opening their mouth wide or winking) to personalize their securityimages and further enhance the degree of security. In this way, when theuser begins operation of the hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100, the user would have to provide the sameexaggerated facial expression during capture of the security image tomatch the previously captured security images of security approved usersand initiate operation. The addition of an exaggerated facial expressionsimplifies the verification of the user since more gross facial featuresare easier to identify when using a simplified image processor as iscommon in hand-held devices.

In a second security embodiment, the user places a thumb or other fingerover the image capture device 40 of portable communication device 140 sothat an image of a portion of the fingerprint of the user can becaptured as a fingerprint image. The fingerprint image is stored andcompared against a database of previously captured fingerprint images ofapproved users of the portable communication device 140. If thefingerprint image does not match any of the previously capturedfingerprint images in a security approved database of fingerprintimages, a security alarm is activated and the communication device canbe disabled, redirected, or monitored. Fingerprint images based securityis particularly well suited in portable communication devices 140 thathave an image capture device 40 that is built into the display 5 as anintegrated image capture and display device. To enable the image capturedevice to be used to capture an image of a thumbprint on the lens cover,the disclosure teaches the use of a focusing system with extended focalrange to provide for short focal range imaging of the thumbprint on to alens or onto a lens cover glass.

In a third security embodiment, the microphone 45 on the hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device 100 is used tocapture a spoken phrase which is compared against a previously spokensecurity phrase to verify the identity of the user based on the spokenphrase and the voice characteristics of the operator/user. Thedisclosure teaches that the spoken phrase be chosen by the user topersonalize the security phrase and also simplify the level of signalprocessing required to verify the user.

In a preferred embodiment, one or more of the security embodiments areused together to further verify the identity of the user. As an example,the image of the user may be compared to the previously capturedsecurity images and the user would then have to speak a phrase, which isthen compared to the security phrase for the phrase and voicecharacteristics. Only if the user is positively identified against thesecurity image and the security phrase would the user be approved toinitiate operation.

Security related identification of the user can also be used tocondition operation characteristics of hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100. In one embodiment, a profile ofoperational preferences is provided to control logic, so that hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device 100 respondsaccording to the preferences of a specific user.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the security features inthe portable device can be used to verify that the user is approved foroperation of a hand-held portable wireless display and digital capturedevice 100 and to verify that the user is approved for use of any otherdevices that are linked to the hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100. In this way, the hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100 can be used as a versatileportable security verification system to provide security featuresassociated with the identification of the user for other devices thatare linked to a portable device either through wireless systems,infrared systems, radio systems or telephone systems. Wherein the otherdevices that benefit from a portable personal security system whereaccess is controlled based on the identity of the user include but arenot limited to: home, office, automotive, boats, banks, electronicpurchasing systems and secure installations. In these cases, theportable communication device is used to verify the identity of the userand then transmit information to the linked device, which then operatesin a manner consistent with the known identity of the user. Thisapproval process includes but is not limited to: granting the approvedlimit of operation of the linked device; granting approval to makefinancial transactions; granting access to secure information; grantingphysical access to a site; allowing operation of a vehicle, etc. As anexample, the hand-held portable wireless display and digital capturedevice 100 could be used to open a car door wherein the hand-heldportable wireless display and digital capture device 100 first capturesan image of the user to verify the identity of the user. Then providedthe user has been approved to open the car door, the hand-held portablewireless display and digital capture device 100 wirelessly transmits anencrypted access code to the car to open the door. In this case, theencrypted access code is the same as is provided by an electronic key,as is commonly provided with current cars, with the added benefit thatthe identity of the user is verified before the car door can be opened.

In regard to the use of the hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100 for a personal portable security system, itis important to note that the hand-held portable wireless display anddigital capture device 100 can be setup to provide secure access to manydifferent personal items or personal spaces where controlled access isdesired. In the event that the portable device is lost or stolen, thesecurity aspects incorporated within the portable device make it verydifficult for another person to operate the hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100 to gain access to personal itemsor personal spaces which have been setup for the personal portablesecurity system. In addition, the transmitted information from thehand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device 100 tothe linked device can include a set of information associated with theverification of the user which is then stored with the linked device asa record of past users of the linked device, wherein the set ofinformation includes at least one of the following: image, thumbprint orvoice. In this way, a record of the past users is stored with the deviceas a record of access that can be checked at a later date.

Compatibility

It is instructive to note that the present disclosure does not requirethat all control functions be initiated at the first site 112 or at thesecond site 114. Instead, control functions can be initiated from anysite, including a third networked site, for example. Consequently, whenthe hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device 100is used to communicate with a more sophisticated device, inputs forcapabilities that go beyond those of the hand-held portable wirelessdisplay and digital capture device 100 are possible to take advantage ofdifferent types of image capture capabilities, different digital imageprocessing capabilities, different audio capabilities, different digitalsignal processors, different transmission and receiving capabilities,and different display capabilities. For example, in a portable imagingand display device 140, the display and the image capture resolution maybe limited and the digital signal processor may be too limited to allowdetection of hand gestures or body movements, while functions such asaudio command capabilities and motion detection may be more readilyavailable for a user interface. In contrast, a large wall mounted videocommunication unit such as the display and digital capture apparatus 100shown in FIG. 6 can have a high resolution display and a high resolutionimage capture device with a powerful digital signal processor so that auser interface with inputs such as hand gestures, audio commands, andbody movements is possible. In one embodiment of the disclosure,portable communication device 140 adapts the imaging priority protocolto enable two way video communications between the different types ofdevices.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that two way communicationsystem 110 of the present disclosure can also include other forms ofmedia during the two way communication such as still images, text,spreadsheets, audio recordings and other forms of images that could beshared during a conversation between two or more people.

The disclosure has been described in detail with particular reference tocertain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood thatvariations and modifications can be effected within the scope of thedisclosure. It should be understood that the various drawing and Figs.provided within this disclosure are intended to be illustrative of thedisclosure and are not intended to show proper scale.

PARTS LIST

-   5 Display-   10 a, 10 b. Image capture device-   14 a, 14 b. Display-   20 a, 20 b. User-   28. Pointer apparatus-   30 a, 30 b. Memory-   40. Image capture device-   45. Microphone-   46. Speaker-   47. Swivel mount for image capture device-   48. Hinge-   80 a, 80 b. User-   60, 62. Communication channel-   94. Network-   96. Distorted portion-   100. Display and digital capture apparatus-   110. Two-way communication system-   112, 114. Site-   120. Image processor-   122. Controller-   124. Communication control apparatus-   126. Prompt detection apparatus-   130 Audio components for capture and broadcast-   140. Portable communication device-   141. Portable communication device with directable capture-   142. Controls-   144. Background-   146. Face-   148. Window-   150. Nose-   164. Measurements-   166. Screen cover-   168. Controls

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: capturing a digital image bya digital capture device having a portable wireless display; detectingmotion of the digital capture device that affects quality of the digitalimage being captured; detecting poor capture angle of the digital imagebeing captured; automatically adjusting the captured digital image inresponse to the detected motion and the detected poor capture angle;presenting a verification image on the portable wireless display at thedigital capture device, wherein the verification image is configured toprovide visual verification as to what the adjusted captured digitalimage looks like; and transmitting the adjusted captured digital imagefrom the digital capture device over a wireless communication network toa second device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein automaticallyadjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motioncomprises adjusting an allowed image capture area of the digital imageto remove at least a portion of a background of the digital image. 3.The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the removed portion ofthe background of the digital image.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe visual verification comprises presentation of face location,background, zoom, brightness, pointing, and privacy features of thetransmitted adjusted digital video or still image.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital image inresponse to the detected motion comprises detecting a face area,representing an image of a face, in the captured image and adjusting thecaptured digital image to include the detected face area.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital imagein response to the detected motion comprises compensating for poor imagecapture conditions of the captured digital image.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein poor image capture conditions include one of poor captureangle, low light, motion of the camera, and motion in the scene or inbright and dark areas.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing thedigital image comprising capturing a video for a period of time.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein presenting a verification image on theportable wireless display at the digital capture device comprises usinga split screen display to present the verification image on only aportion of the portable wireless display.
 10. An apparatus comprising: acapture device configured to capture a digital image; a processoroperatively coupled to the capture device and configured to detectmotion of the apparatus that affects quality of the digital image beingcaptured and to detect poor capture angle of the digital image beingcaptured and automatically adjust the captured digital image in responseto the detected motion and the detected poor capture angle; a displaydevice configured to present a verification image, wherein theverification image is configured to provide visual verification as towhat the adjusted captured digital image looks like; and a transmitteroperatively coupled to the processor and configured to transmit theadjusted captured digital image over a wireless communication network toa second device.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor isfurther configured to adjust an allowed image capture area of thedigital image such that at least a portion of a background of thedigital image is removed from the digital image.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 11, further comprising a storage device configured to store theremoved portion of the background of the digital image.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 10, wherein the visual verification comprisespresentation of face location, background, zoom, brightness, pointing,and privacy features of the transmitted adjusted digital video or stillimage.
 14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein automatically adjustingthe captured digital image in response to the detected motion comprisesdetecting a face area, representing an image of a face, in the capturedimage and adjusting the captured digital image to include the detectedface area.
 15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein automaticallyadjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motioncomprises compensating for poor image capture conditions of the captureddigital image.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein poor image captureconditions include one of poor capture angle, low light, motion of thecamera, and motion in the scene or in bright and dark areas.
 17. Asystem comprising: a first digital capture device configured to capturea digital image, wherein the digital capture device includes a portablewireless display and one or more processors, wherein the one or moreprocessors are configured to detect motion of the first digital capturedevice that affects quality of the digital image being captured and todetect poor capture angle of the digital image being captured andautomatically adjust the captured digital image in response to thedetected motion and the detected poor capture angle, wherein the one ormore processors are configured to present a verification image on theportable wireless display, wherein the verification image is configuredto provide visual verification as to what the adjusted captured digitalimage looks like; and a wireless communication network configured tocommunicate the adjusted captured digital image from the first digitalcapture device to a second device.
 18. The system of claim 17, whereinthe one or more processors are further configured to adjust an allowedimage capture area of the digital image such that at least a portion ofa background of the digital image is removed from the digital image. 19.The system of claim 18, further comprising a storage device configuredto store the removed portion of the background of the digital image. 20.The system of claim 17, wherein automatically adjusting the captureddigital image in response to the detected motion comprises compensatingfor poor image capture conditions of the captured digital image.